Starting daycare is a significant milestone for both children and parents alike. For parents, it can be daunting handing care over to others, and with this come worries about how your little one will adapt to the new changes and experiences. Sleep may also be a dominant worry on a parent’s mind.

Fear not; your little one will settle down in their new environment. Here are some tips to make this transition smoother for all of you.

CHOOSING YOUR DAYCARE

You may want to choose a daycare that can be flexible to your baby’s sleep needs. Each daycare will have different sleep routines, so it’s best to choose one that suits your baby. Let them know your baby’s sleep routine, how you settle them for sleep, how long they sleep, and how they can resettle your baby if they wake early. Don’t panic if your baby doesn’t sleep well in these initial weeks as they adjust to this new environment. You can always offer your baby an earlier bedtime during this transition period. Should sleep concerns persist after 3 weeks, you can chat with the daycare staff to see what can be done to help the situation. If nothing is done to accommodate this, you can then decide whether this daycare is a good fit for your little one.

GRADUAL ADJUSTMENT

It’s a good idea for you and your baby to spend some time at the daycare before they start in order to get them familiar with their new surroundings and meet their new carers. You want your baby or toddler to have a good connection with their new carers and know them in advance

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

Talk about the daycare and their carers at home with your little one, keep chats positive and when you’re dropping them off, be excited for them. Babies and toddlers are very perceptive, and you don’t want them picking up on any of your worries. This was certainly the case for me when my little ones started nursery, I always worried about the transition, but put on a happy smile to show them all would be great, and more often than not it was!

COMMUNICATION WITH DAYCARE STAFF

It’s vital to have daily chats with staff about how your little one is doing. You can discuss how they’ve slept, ate etc. This allows you together to remedy and adjust anything that may need tweaking with regards their sleeping or eating routines.

BRING COMFORT ITEMS AND SLEEP ASSOCIATIONS

If your child has a comfort item from home, like a favourite toy or blanket, they can bring that in so they have something familiar from home that they can snuggle and provides comfort during nap times. You may even wish to bring their sleep sack if allowed, so it smells like home.

If your baby sleeps with white noise playing, bring that along and also if they use a pacifier, bring that also and some spares.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

As with any transition, it’s important to remember there will be an adjustment phase and it may take time for your child to adapt to sleeping in a new environment.

The adjustment period depends on your baby, each baby’s temperament is different, and your baby may refuse naps, or separation anxiety may peak, so be sure to provide extra time with your child during the day to make them feel secure.

By working together with daycare staff and maintaining a consistent routine at home, you can set the stage for a successful daycare experience for your little one.